Youth Unemployment

Experts from the Hamilton Project observe that two traditional methods of noting when recessions have started—waiting for an announcement from the National Bureau of Economic Research or observing GDP to decline over two consecutive quarters—“are appropriate for historical analysis but too slow to be useful for policy.” Instead, they explain a measure developed by economist … Continue reading →

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 7.9% in December 2018, stable compared with November 2018 and down from 8.6% in December 2017. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since October 2008. The EU28 unemployment rate was 6.6% in December 2018, stable compared with November 2018 and down from 7.2% … Continue reading →

Years into the economic recovery, young adults still face difficulty connecting to the labor market. High unemployment is particularly a problem for young people of color. Many live in communities without a strong employment base, have attended low-performing schools, and lack connections to employed adults who can provide guidance and help them explore career interests, … Continue reading →

Ten years after the economic crisis, youth employment in Europe is still not back to its pre-crisis level. This is especially true for countries in southern and eastern Europe. The report looks at the development of youth labour markets in the EU countries. It identifies groups of young people disproportionately affected by the crisis and … Continue reading →

The reality faced by Europe’s next generation still falls short of what it takes to age in prosperity. First, many EU countries suffer from surprisingly large foundational skills gaps. Across half of the EU a fifth or more of 15-year-olds performed below proficiency in reading and mathematics in the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment … Continue reading →

The European Youth Guarantee (YG) is one of the most innovative labour market policies of recent years. It arrived at a time when an urgent and radical response was needed to address the detrimental long-lasting consequences of long-term unemployment. This article examines empirical evidence on the effectiveness of past youth guarantee experiences, as well as … Continue reading →

To be a country that works for everyone, youth unemployment must be addressed. Consistent and engaging support for young people in school and as they transition through education and employment is key to reducing youth unemployment. This transition is still inconsistent for many young people across the UK. This report highlights the challenges that some … Continue reading →

Where there is good data about young people targeted support can be put in place. Organisations that support young people use the national statistical data to design and target services for young people. However the data that is available does not provide a useful enough breakdown at a local level or for groups of young … Continue reading →

50% of unemployed people aged 20-34 in the European Union (EU) are reluctant to change their place of residence for a job, 21% are ready to move for a job but only in the same country, whereas 12% would consider moving to another EU Member State. 17% would even be ready to move for a … Continue reading →

Young people are more affected than other age groups by long-term unemployment. While long-term youth unemployment is certainly not a new policy challenge for Europe, it now affects a wider range of young people than it ever did before, ranging from those with third-level degrees to the most disadvantaged young people. Eurofound’s new report on … Continue reading →

There has been a modest economic recovery, though youth unemployment remains high and employment quality a concern. The global economic outlook for 2017 and 2018 is positive and growth is projected to accelerate modestly due to moderate pickups in investment and trade, mainly led by advanced economies. However, job growth does not always accompany economic … Continue reading →

Vocationally-trained workers with relatively narrow skills face a harsher labor market with time as the nature of production changes. The employment advantage of German youth with vocational as compared to general education reverses over time and disappears around age 50, according to a study I conducted along with an international team. At that point, even … Continue reading →

However, participation rates are only one part of young people’s experience of the labour market. A second major factor is whether youth are able to find employment once they enter the workforce. The youth unemployment rate varied widely from 1946 to 2015. Relatively low until the mid-1950s, it climbed 5.9 percentage points from 1956 to … Continue reading →

Since 2013, the Union and its Member States have engaged in an ambitious strategy to reduce youth unemployment. Following a proposal from the Commission, all Member States adhered to the establishment of a Youth Guarantee, which is a political commitment, in the form of a Council recommendation of April 2013, to give every young person … Continue reading →

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 9.6% in December 2016, down from 9.7% in November 2016 and down from 10.5% in December 2015. This is the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since May 2009. The EU28 unemployment rate was 8.2% in December 2016, stable compared to November 2016 and down from … Continue reading →